Google abusing its dominant position

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Nov 072011
 

Google has been irritating me of late. And increasingly so. I have tried to “just get along” with one aggressive form of product-push from Google but it’s now reached the stage where I need to say something and get it off my chest.

I use Firefox as my default web browser but, now and again, I use one of the other web browsers installed on my system. These other browsers are IE9, Chrome, Safari and Opera. I have noticed, if I use IE9 (or IE7 from work) and go to www.google.com, that the Google Search homepage adds the following notification within the top right of the browser’s window:

google notification

This notification window does not appear when I use the other browsers on my system. Why is that? Is Google actively targeting the users of Microsoft’s browsers? Is Google abusing its dominate position? To me the evidence is pretty clear.

The message to Google: “Stop it. Now. Thanks.”

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2011

The end of gods

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Feb 232011
 

Why Evolution is True has an interesting article Eric MacDonald on natural selection, purpose, and the problem of evil. That article goes on to link to MacDonald’s article which describes how evolution, through natural selection, indicates that the concept of a god, or gods, is a human conceit, a folly.

Of particular interest to me are Coyne’s and MacDonald’s concerns over the direction that NCSE seems to be taking. NCSE’s goal are to promote evolution but they’re trying not to offend the religious in the process. I can see NCSE’s point of view as that may be the only way that they can get the message through. Conversely, such an “accommodationist” approach may give a mixed message and falsely colour the insights that evolution behooves us to face. I agree with Coyne and MacDonald and, although I recognise and sympathise with NCSE’s approach, I think that NCSE may cause more harm in the long run. But that’s just my view.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2011

The murder of Karen Woo

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Aug 132010
 

An Afghan driver who survived the ambush tells how Karen Woo and the other charity workers died at http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/67168,news-comment,news-politics,british-aid-worker-karen-woo-was-killed-by-a-grenade-as-she-hid-in-4×4-afghanistan-ambush#ixzz0wUgXF958

I can remember how a year ago we were waived down by masked gunmen in Afghanistan. That was a nervous time; nowhere to run or hide as we were led out of our vehicle at the point of an AK47, patted down and everything searched whilst we had no idea on who they were or what they wanted. Local gunmen / bandits? Taliban? But everything resolved itself when they eventually turned out to be Afghan Army on a recon clearing the roads for a large military convoy.

But Karen Woo and her party weren’t that lucky. What they got instead would appear to be gunmen from outside the region and perhaps some from Pakistan.The worry here is that gunmen may step up the targeting of charity workers and other non-military groups.

Evil is what evil does.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010

Revulsion at burka

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Aug 102010
 

Richard Dawkins is quoted by The Daily Mail

“I do feel visceral revulsion at the burka because for me it is a symbol of the oppression of women.”

The Daily Mail also reported

His comments prompted fury among Muslim groups who accused him of being ‘ignorant’ and ‘Islamophobic’.

I’m not sure who these “Muslim groups” are and who they represent, but if their comments are true then it is clear that they are the ones being ignorant. Dawkins is an atheist and he has explained many times the flaws of religion and the flaws in reasoning that allow one to become religious or “believe” in a god. For these groups to say that Dawkins is “Islamophobic” is hilarious; Dawkins is irreligious!

But Dawkins is right. The tradition that allows, encourages and indoctrinates the wearing of such clothes is an oppressive regime particularly against women; you don’t see men wearing burhas for example. Oppressive. Violent. Repulsive. It goes against against freethinking and all that is morally good.

I will note that there are vast sections of Islamic society that don’t practice such barbarity; I call on you to stand up and be counted in helping to stamp out this evil.

Those out there that practice these and other oppressions deserve my revulsion too; I don’t care if you call yourself a Jew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist, whatever. Evil is what evil does.

“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.”

Steven Weinberg, quoted in The New York Times, April 20, 1999

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010

“honour killings” – evil through and through

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Apr 142010
 

The BBC have reported that “Hindu caste leaders in the northern Indian state of Haryana have given their backing to six people convicted last month in an "honour killing" case.”

The full article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8617576.stm

Firstly, “caste” is an evil that must be eliminated. And not just in India but also in other countries where those of sub-continent origin implement such barbarity.

Secondly, these killings are the actions of an evil people.

Thirdly, support for these killers demonstrates the backwardness and evilness of the “Hindu cast leaders”.

Fourthly, such killings are anything but “honourable”.

In short, thoroughly evil actions by an evil people.

Also see:

Stop honour killings!
http://www.stophonourkillings.com/

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010

Good and Evil in the MySpace world

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Feb 022008
 

Thanks to the heads-up from Pharyngula’s “Should I go or should I stay?” article, it is now clear that MySpace are systematically banning all groups related to atheism. Skeptico also has an article on this subject. Go check them out!Evil

There is something profoundly immoral about the way MySpace is run. In some ways this seems to be in much the same vein as the Extremists ban popular children’s books article. However, with MySpace it is far more insidious…they’ve been described as bigots but I would go further and call them religious fanatics and extremists. This world doesn’t need them. Murdoch and his evil empire are things that I’ve normally ignored until now. But their actions have now attracted my attention and this is something that I’m now keen to see unfold.

My advice is to steer clear of MySpace.

Copyright © 2008 Kulvinder Singh Matharu – All Rights Reserved

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